


Venerdì 23:14

by ginnyred



Category: SKAM (Italy)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Jealousy, M/M, Minor Violence, Missing Scene, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24234283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnyred/pseuds/ginnyred
Summary: "What's going on?""I'm going to say hi to someone."
Relationships: Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta
Comments: 14
Kudos: 70





	Venerdì 23:14

_"What's going on?"_

_"I'm going to say hi to someone."_

It's the guys from the picture, Marti recognises them: friends from the Virgilio, Sana said. Classmates.

Nico has never really told him much about the years he spent there, about why exactly he had to change schools after failing his last year, and Marti hasn't pushed.

That never works anyway. And Marti can sense the guilt and the pain regardless.

He's been wondering, though. Ever since he saw those pictures, he's been wondering even more.

Maddalena's words came back to him, like a half-forgotten dream:

_Last year he learnt the Quran by heart for a boy. He spoke Arabic, he'd run away from home. If you asked him now, he probably wouldn't even remember his name._

Marti watches Nico talk animatedly, smiling, that guy's arm around his shoulder. He can read Nico's body language like an open book, even at a distance.

Surprised. Euphoric.

Grateful.

Only a few moments ago, Marti thought Nico looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Now, well.

Marti is pretty sure Nico _does_ remember this guy's name. Because this guy is the Quran guy, right? It cannot be a coincidence. And God, why must he keep looking at Nico like that, like...

Marti has to look away. He feels his heartbeat in his throat, too fast and out of synch with the music. Everything feels out of synch right now.

He feels nauseous. Trapped. He jumps as a hand grabs his upper arm.

Gio.

"What's happening?"

Marti almost says "nothing". Then tilts his chin in the direction of Nico and those guys and sneaks another look, which he regrets instantly. How painful can Nico's smile get?

Gio frowns.

"Who are they?"

"Sana's brother and his friends."

"Nico knows Sana's brother?"

Marti shrugs.

"Apparently." It stings he doesn't seem to know any more than Gio does about this. "They used to go to the Virgilio together," he adds, hoping to make it better.

Maybe if he doesn't tell Gio he learnt it from Sana and not from Nico, he will forget too.

"Well, don't just stand here and stare like a creep." Gio pushes him half-heartedly. "Go to them."

Marti feels himself closing off instantly at the idea.

_No._

"And say what?"

"'Hey, I'm Martino, nice to meet you'?" Gio snorts. "You know, like normal people do?" He pushes him again, more decisively this time. "Go, come on. Looks like they're heading out."

Marti stumbles, but regains his feet quickly enough. He looks back, undecided, and Gio rolls his eyes at him.

"You're a little girl," Gio says, and it sounds both annoyed and fond. He grabs Marti's wrist and starts leading him to the exit.

Marti hasn't felt this young and stupid in a while: he lets Gio guide him outside, the night chill only a mild relief against his sweaty skin.

They're standing on the pavement at the side of the road, only a few metres away from the entrance of the tunnel Nico drove them through barely an hour ago.

He can see Nico's back, the guy's arm is still around his shoulders, keeping him close.

"You can make it alone now, right?" Gio jokes, though Marti doesn't miss the concerned note in his voice.

He sees him too, right? He's not making stuff up.

"Fuck you," he mumbles distractedly, and Gio snickers. He seems relieved.

Marti walks up to them. Five metres feeling like five light years, but he crosses them in five milliseconds.

He grabs Nico's arm a bit too forcefully, but when Nico turns to look there's a smile on his face.

"Marti!" he says, surprised, like it's strange to see him there.

Marti sees a flash of something like panic in his eyes. Brief, gone in an instant, but definitely real. Marti pointedly doesn't look at anyone else.

"You disappeared."

"I told you I was going-"

"Hey!" The guy Marti thinks is Sana's brother interrupts Nico. "Aren't you going to introduce us? How rude did the Kennedy make you, man?"

"Give me a second, come on," Nico laughs, but Marti knows him too well not to see he's nervous. "Marti, these are Rami, Driss, and Luai." Nico gestures to the guys vaguely enough that Marti can't figure out who's who. "Guys, this is Martino..." A pause which lasts a fraction of a second, but it weighs a ton on Marti's chest. "My boyfriend."

"Aaaaaahhh!" It's Sana's brother who speaks but Marti is not looking at him. The other guy's eyes widen imperceptibly and Marti thinks he sees half a smile there.

He doesn't let go of Nico, so Marti doesn't either, holding on to his forearm.

"Condolences, man," the third guy laughs, a hand on his heart, a fake somber face directed at Marti.

He hates it.

What the fuck does that mean? What do they know that he doesn't?

"Right." Marti pulls at Nico's arm. "Do you mind if we go?"

Nico frowns.

"But we've just got here."

"You have to leave already?" The guy lets go of Nico, finally, but his face falls, and somehow that's even worse.

Marti is about to burst open at the seams. It's a miracle he manages to keep his voice in check as he replies.

"Yes, we do." He tries not to say it, he does, but it slips out anyway – mean and unnecessary and awfully insecure: "Is it a problem?"

He can feel Nico go rigid under his touch. The three boys close in on themselves, suddenly on their guard, unconsciously forming a wall with their bodies.

"Chill, man. What's got into you?" the guy from before says, tone disbelieving. He holds out his hands to keep Marti at a distance.

His fingers graze against his chest by accident and Marti can't help but think that those hands were on Nico a moment ago.

How many times has it happened before? What happened between them?

His brain conjures up a distorted fantasy, unwanted: faceless shapes under the covers in the warm glow of Nico's old bedroom.

It makes him terrified. It makes him furious.

"I'll chill when I want to, thank you." Marti shoves the guy's hands away in anger. "And don't touch me."

"What the fuck-"

"Marti, come on, what are you-" Nico tries to pull him aside, the panic now evident in his voice, but Marti pushes him away.

He shoves at the guy's chest with all the strength he has. The satisfaction he feels when he stumbles back and almost trips, losing his hood in the process, disgusts and delights him in equal measure.

Someone is shouting something, their voice urgent, far away or right behind him. Nico? Gio? Marti can't tell.

He gets shoved aside and hits the wall with his back. It doesn't hurt as much as he thought.

"You're fucking crazy," the guy spits, as he straightens up again. From his stance, it's clear he expects Marti to try to hit him again.

He's right.

*

Later that night, sprawled out and exhausted in the hospital waiting room, his fingers entwined with Nico's, Marti will remember one last coherent thought in the haze of fear and adrenaline. Crystal clear and embarrassing, but only in hindsight:

_Hope I ruin that perfect face._

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this but I'm not sure I believe it. Also this is not really my thing but hey, an attempt was made.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
